The Huw Thatcher Trust – Annual Report 2011
The Huw Thatcher Trust:
Remembering Huw:
fundraising on behalf of the
Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Trust, part of the Disabilities
Trust registered charity no.
800797
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 1
INTRODUCTION
This report explains what the Huw Thatcher Trust is, why it was set up and what it
achieved in 2011. It also reviews some of the activities and events and shows how the
money is being used.
One of Huw’s friends left a message on Facebook in the autumn of 2011 – ‘I know
you’re looking down on us, doing all these amazing things for you.’ There were many
amazing things in 2011. I never imagined that we would raise £45,000 for brain injured
people in 2011. I never imagined we would see so many people who enjoyed a part of
Huw’s life taking part in this fantastic achievement. I never imagined I’d see the miles
cycled, the miles ran, the goals scored, the cakes baked, the legs waxed, the music
played, or the fun, smiles and emotion. Thank you to everyone who has supported the
Huw Thatcher Trust and therefore helped brain injured people. Thank you for keeping
a light shining for Huw.
The financial contributions have been acknowledged, and many of the events are
reviewed below. However, particular recognition should be given to every person who
organised an event or helped set one up. Many of these people really gave something
of themselves in terms of effort or personal commitment and others took some kind of
risk. In the event everything has been successful, well supported, and fulfilling for those
who took part.
Huw will never be forgotten. He will be remembered in a positive way. Huw will shine
on forever. At the heart of the Trust is the love and affection for a beautiful 15 year old
teenager. Huw was always an active boy with a great spirit, a sense of fun and a
creative streak; it is natural and important that the Huw Thatcher Trust captures that
spirit. The fund raising activities have been fun, creative, moving and appropriate in
every way. These are the things that are at the core of the Huw Thatcher Trust.
In October 2011, Huw and Carys won a joint award at the ‘Yorkshire Children of
Courage and Achievement Awards’ in recognition of Carys’ courage, her contribution to
the Trust, and of how Huw’s personality that has galvanised such a fantastic effort and
reaction.
Further information about the Trust, the fund raising events and lots of lovely memories
of Huw can be found on Huw’s website – huwthatchertrust.org
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 2
BACKGROUND
The Huw Thatcher Trust emerged in March 2011 when Huw’s family asked people to
make donations in lieu of flowers. It quickly grew into a series of wonderful events,
organised by a wide range of people, to remember Huw and raise funds. The Huw
Thatcher Trust raises funds to support the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT).
BIRT is a Division of a larger charity called the Disabilities Trust.
BIRT helps people regain the skills lost as a result of brain injury – whether caused by
medical reasons, accident, assault or some other form of injury. BIRT’s involvement
may begin once someone with a brain injury leaves hospital. BIRT offer a range of
services to around 500 service users designed to meet the needs of people at different
stages of rehabilitation including long-term housing and care, and community-based
support. The Huw Thatcher Trust is a fund within BIRT. All the money raised is paid
into this fund and the Thatcher family and BIRT jointly agree how the money will be
spent. This arrangement gives the benefits of a registered charity but avoids the
administrative burden and costs.
While BIRT is able to offer a fantastic residential rehabilitation, there are things that
aren’t available due to financial restrictions. The Huw Thatcher Trust has helped BIRT
provide things like physiotherapy equipment and facilities for IT, gardens and kitchens.
Barrie Oldham the Chief Executive says: 'The funds raised by Huw's Trust are enabling
us to go the extra mile, by funding things we couldn't normally provide. Your help
enables us to provide facilities we couldn't normally provide and they are making a real
difference to people's lives.’
The Huw Thatcher Trust therefore makes a big difference to brain injured people.
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 3
ABOUT HUW
Huw left us at the age of 15 years and
4 months on March 13th 2011, playing
in a football match for Hepworth United
near his home town of Holmfirth. Huw
had a brain haemorrhage as a result of
a pre existing condition that no one
knew about, or could have known
about. People who suffer brain
haemorrhages and survive, can
experience brain injury and subsequent
disabilities. Huw was a lovely young
guy with everything going for him.
During his life, Huw’s larger than life
character, playfulness, talents and
sensitivity were expressed to the full.
But Huw always had time to talk to
people, and develop his friendships
with adults as well as young people and
younger children.
Sport was a big part of Huw’s life – he
played for Hepworth United in football,
Upperthong at cricket and was a member
of Thongsbridge Tennis Club. Huw also
had lots of other interests and aspects to
his personality. He loved music, being a
comedian, and most of all being a friend.
Huw was a natural entertainer, though at
the same time, perceptive, sensitive and a
great friend and family member. Huw was
getting excellent academic results, was
ready to take his Grade 5 exam on the
drum kit and had planned to go to
university.
Huw was a free spirit with a beautiful smile
who is a sadly missed and much loved
son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew
and friend.
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 4
FINANCIAL STUFF
Funds have been raised from the following events. The amounts are not included
because a lot of money has been raised so far and it is the thought, love and care that
counts. Some people are more able to pay than others, but the strength of the Huw
Thatcher Trust has been the thousands of individual purchases (of wrist bands / cakes /
T shirts etc,) donations and sponsorships. Behind the amounts listed below are
thousands of donations from kind people in 21011 - thank you! It has not been possible
to list every single thing but here are the main events.
7th May - Tea and Coffee Stall at Holmfirth Parish Church
8th May – Sheffield fun run; Simon and Daniel Bateman
17th May – non uniform day at Kirkburton Middle School; Sue Charlesworth
Spring 2011 – selling Cardiff City football programmes with a ‘Huw’ article; Jake Clayton
18th June - 24 hour five a side football tournament; Sam Briggs
19th June – Black Belt Academy demonstration fights; Jordan Craven
21st June – Tea and coffee party in Cardiff; Mary Phillips
25th June – Upperthong Cricket Club tournament; Rob Oakley
1st July – Cycling from Cardiff to Huddersfield in one day; Steve Thatcher and Doug
Wilson
2nd July – Gig at the Picturedrome with Age of Paranoia and Speedweasel; Dave
Brennan
6th July – leg waxing event at Holmfirth High School; Huw’s friends
9th July – sponsored bike ride round 15 cricket grounds; Joy Oakley
Early August – sponsored Coast to Coast bike ride; Huw’s friends, Dave Brennan and
Jane Travis
16th August – charity football match Brighouse Town vs Holme Valley X1; BTFC
30th August – sponsored walk; Graeme Hoyle and Molly Jowett
11th September – Para10 endurance run; Anuschka Kruger
18th September – Great North Run; Andy Thompson and Liz Blezzard
25th September – cycling event; the Cullaigh family
16th October – Majorca marathon; Andy Ackroyd and Steve Taylor
October 2011 – tea and cake sale in Somerset; Nick and Penny Edwards
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 5
Early November - Mega cake sale at school in Hampshire; Kate and Lauren Hawkridge
12th November – Holme Valley Business Association ball; Paula Moss and Liz Wood
16th November – non uniform day at Holmfirth High School
19th November - Hepworth Football Club under 15s annual ball; Simon and Gaynor
Hough
26th November – wine tasting event presented by Paul Franklin and Clive Jones; Oliver
Constance and Shona Atkinson at Thongsbridge Tennis Club
March to December 2011 – collections at various sporting and other events; by Huw’s
friends and their families in all types of weather!
March to December 2011 – hundreds of kind donations and sponsorship of events and
activities given with love and generosity from a few pence up to 4 figure sums.
Donations and sponsorships have been given from individual people (sometimes
children from their pocket money), from local companies and organisations, and from
major national companies. Donations have been received from sports clubs,
community organisations and profit making companies. The amounts have varied
enormously, but each one has been received with equally gratitude as a demonstration
of love for Huw, and care for people who need support.
Total raised in 2011 £45,000
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2011
It’s hard to pick out highlights because every single event and donation meant so much.
But the following are worthy of specific mention.
7th May - Tea and Coffee Stall at Holmfirth Parish Church
People were just doing lots of things to remember Huw in the early spring like an
impromptu football match at Sands and a school assembly. But the tea and coffee stall
meant a lot to all of us because it was the first fund raising type of event. It was a day
that was incredibly moving as well as fulfilling. A group of us raised £531 at Holmfirth
Parish Church mainly through sales of hot drinks and cakes over the Folk Festival
weekend - thanks to the inventiveness and efforts of Huw’s friends (young and less
young)!
18th June - 24 hour five a side football tournament – organised by Sam Briggs
Huw’s long-time friend Sam Briggs organised this amazing event that raised around
£2,000 from a reasonable priced entry fee and from the sale of food and drinks
generously provided, and lovingly homemade. Around 240 players from the age of 7 to
50+ took part in the event, the highlight of which was to see Huw’s friends and their
families doing something positive and having fun at a time when they were still in
disbelief about losing such a great friend. So many of Huw’s friends were involved that
day; it felt like Huw was carried along with us. He will always be carried along with us -
never left behind or forgotten - never left on his own.
One of the girls teams at the 5 a side tournament – in Cardiff City shirts.
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 7
A group of tired cyclists after the event in July 2011
June / July – events organised by Upperthong Cricket Club
Two events saw hundreds of cricketers play a tournament at the end of June and 40
cyclists complete a tough 44 mile cycle ride. The events were organised by Rob and
Joy Oakley, who were so supportive of Huw from a young age. The Upperthong and
cricket communities were at the heart of these events, which between them raised
around £4,000. The sponsors and donations from these events were particularly
impressive, but the highlight was seeing 40 cyclists from the age of 11 to nearly 60
visiting 15 cricket grounds – one for each of Huw’s happy years. Visits to so many
beautiful cricket grounds where we had seen Huw play over the years were a highlight
of this day. Huge respect to everyone who completed such a testing ride and the
support team who kept us going – everyone loved the day and rightly felt fulfilled, if a
little sore at the end of the day!
June and July 2011 – leg waxing and fight demonstration events
June 19th saw an event organised by Jordan Craven along with the Holme Valley Black
Belt Academy. This event raised £500 which made the effort put in by Jordan and other
friends well worth it. Huw’s friends were also behind a leg waxing event at Holmfirth
High that gave them all great entertainment for a modest entry fee. Huw’s Trust
benefitted from the generosity and imagination from Huw’s friends Ella and Tom who
were 2 of the organisers of the event – along with the male victims (including a teacher)
- and of course the willing female beauty therapists who applied the wax strips with
care...........and removed them with much enthusiasm!
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1st July –from Cardiff with love – Steve Thatcher and Doug Wilson
In a feat of endurance and determination 46, year old Steve (Huw’s uncle) rode a bike
192 miles from the Cardiff City Stadium to Sands in Holmfirth in 19 hours. Huw’s 13
year old cousin Doug rode 110 miles that day too. They were supported by Doug’s
family and Steve’s pal, Dave Stockwell. The two lads completed their last 10 miles in
double quick time, taking on the 1300 feet of Holme Moss as if it wasn’t there – that was
quite a sight late at night in the dark. They raised over £1,000 between them. It is a
fantastic achievement for a 13 year old to cycle that distance, requiring both courage
and strength. The same was required by Steve, who carried a flower with him for the
whole journey and placed it on the fence at Sands on his arrival – it was blue of
course.........blue for Huw, with love forever.
Above: Doug early in the day (left) and Steve showing great courage in the Peak
District (right). Below: ‘Age of Paranoia’ on stage at the gig on 2nd July
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2nd July – Gig at the Picturedrome with Age of Paranoia and Speedweasel – Dave
Brennan
Family friend Dave Brennan organised this event, that saw 2 fantastic local bands sing
their hearts out at local venue ‘the Picturedrome’. 550 people moshed the night away
with Huw in their hearts, and smiles on their faces. It was an astonishing effort, selling
that many tickets and raising over £4,000 in around 6 weeks and the event was such as
success that it will be repeated in June 2012.
Early August – sponsored Coast to Coast bike ride – Huw’s friends, Dave Brennan and
Jane Travis
The Coast to Coast bike ride was organised by two family friends who knew Huw since
he was a toddler. It was completed by nearly 30 of Huw’s family and friends ranging
from 12 to 51 in age, and was supported by a lovely ‘crew’ who had food, smiles and
words of encouragement at every stop. The group climbed over 10,000 feet and
travelled over 140 miles across England’s northern wilderness in 3 days. Over £3,000
was raised, but the highlight was the humour and friendship that was evident from the
start along with a great deal of determination that ensured all the riders finished
together at Tynemouth on the East Coast.
Tired but proud cyclists at the end of the ride in Tynemouth
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16th August – charity football match Brighouse Town vs Holme Valley X1 – BTFC
Friends at Brighouse and from the local clubs at Huw’s home in the Holme Valley
turned out to play football in front of nearly 200 spectators in August to show heartfelt
support for Huw and his Trust. The support from our friends at Brighouse Town FC, the
Holme Valley clubs who were joined by three former Huddersfield Town players
showed the local football community at its best. The football was played in a great spirit
and it was an entertaining game, edged 2-1 by a Brighouse Town side containing a
large number of first team players from the Northern Counties East League, Premier
Division. The event raised a fantastic amount of nearly £1,000.
The line up at Brighouse on 16th August
Autumn 2011 – Running, walking and cycling
A number of people took part in running events, a sponsored walk and a cycling event
in the autumn. The runs were all endurance events that the participants trained hard for
and decided to complete in aid of Huw’s Trust. Over £4,000 was raised in completing
these events, as a result of hard work in training, during the events and equally in
finding generous sponsors.
Above - Steve & Andy after completing the Palma Marathon in October
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28th October
Huw and Carys were jointly awarded with a fundraiser and sports award at the
'Yorkshire Children of Courage and Achievement Awards' dinner at Harrogate on
Thursday 28th October. Sam Bellas and Heather Smith were presented with the award
as Carys was on school sports trip in Barcelona. Heather and Sam said they were
'honoured' to receive the award on behalf of Huw and Carys at a positive yet emotional
evening. While the award was presented in recognition of Huw and Carys, it also
recognised the efforts of their family and friends who have showed compassion and
sensitivity, given their time, and much more for Huw's trust.
November events
Just when we thought it would be quiet, a number of generous people organised events
in the Holme Valley in November. Three evening events and a non uniform day at
Holmfirth High raised around £6,000 and involved thousands of people who again put
their hands in their pockets and most importantly gave their time and efforts to
remember Huw – who may have been their friend, team mate, opponent and even
customer!
Tea and cake sales
As listed above, so many people wanted to bake a cake for Huw! There’s something
about baking a cake that is simple, but personal and generous. Equally generous were
the customers who bought and enjoyed the goods, and those who organised the events
and made the sales. A highlight was the £600 raised by Kate and Lauren who along
with their friends baked and sold 600 cakes for sale at their school in Hampshire. Kate
and Lauren were good friends of Huw in school before they moved to Hampshire a few
years ago. In fact all the events were highlights – including the efforts of Huw’s Granny,
the Edwards family in Somerset, and the staff (particularly Sue) and pupils at Kirkburton
Middle School who combined a cake sale with a non uniform day in May.
Kate and Lauren selling hundreds of cakes at Thornden School, Chandlers Ford
The Huw Thatcher Trust Annual Report 2011 Page 12
What would you be?
What would you be our Huw, what would you be Big Man?
What would your passion be, what would you want?
What would your job be Huw, what would you do?
And who would your lover be, what is her name?
What would you be good at Huw, what would you like?
Who would you play for, how good would you be?
Where would you live Huw, where would you go?
And who would your lover be, who would you hold?
There’s things that you won’t be, but some that you will,
The warmth of your smile, is what you will be,
The noise in the playground, the grass on the pitch,
The sand on the beach, the waves in the sea,
The smile on your face, the hug and the wink,
The love of your friends, and the things that they do,
The love in our hearts will always be yours,
A place you will be, is deep in our souls.
Nick Thatcher: December 2011
The warmth of your smile is what you will be